Register Now

In order to be able to post messages on the SailNet Community forums, you must first register. Please enter your desired user name, your email address and other required details in the form below.Please note: After entering 3 characters a list of Usernames already in use will appear and the list will disappear once a valid Username is entered.

User Name:

Password

Please enter a password for your user account. Note that passwords are case-sensitive.

Password:

Confirm Password:

Email Address

Please enter a valid email address for yourself.

Email Address:

OR

Log-in

User Name

Password

Remember Me?

Human Verification

In order to verify that you are a human and not a spam bot, please enter the answer into the following box below based on the instructions contained in the graphic.

Additional Options

Miscellaneous Options

Automatically parse links in text

Automatically embed media (requires automatic parsing of links in text to be on).

Automatically retrieve titles from external links

Click here to view the posting rules you are bound to when clicking the'Submit Reply' button below

I'm going to look at a boat this weekend. If I like it, I will make an offer. However, my offer will be contingent upon a survey. How do I protect myself in terms of the cost of the survey? Do I negotiate a price ahead of time based on the seller's info and have a written contract if the boat checks out? How is this done?

Use the attached link and do a thorough pre-survey yourself. It will reduce the number of times you have to pay someone else.

If you are planning on spending a lot of money, say more than $10K, picking up and studying Don Casey's book on inspecting old boats would be a good idea too.

A lot of surveyors are "in name only" and they all cover their a$$es re: "errors & omissions" so being able to narrow the field severely by yourself is good practice.

10-09-2012 10:06 AM

TQA

Re: Buying A Boat, Need Some Help

Also worth noting that most surveyors will not climb the mast so you do not get the rigging checked.

The engine check carried out by most surveyors is limited. If in doubt you need a specialist who will organise things like oil analysis and cylinder pressure or rpm drop checks.

10-09-2012 02:38 AM

rgscpat

Re: Buying A Boat, Need Some Help

Two approaches I've heard of for reducing the cost of a survey:
(1) learning enough to "pre-survey" boats on your own and eliminate clunkers so you only pay for a survey on a boat that in which you have high confidence;
(2) asking whether the surveyor might consider stopping the survey and reducing the fee if a big deal-breaker surfaces very early during the survey.

10-08-2012 11:53 PM

paulk

Re: Buying A Boat, Need Some Help

If you want to make an offer on a boat, generally the broker (or seller) takes a deposit of 10% of the offer, which is made subject to the boat's passing survey. The deposit is refundable in the event that the boat does not pass survey, but the buyer pays for the survey. (You wouldn't want a survey that the seller paid for!) The best thing to do might be to contact a few marinas or yacht yards near where the boat is and ask which surveyors they might recommend. (The broker or seller might have some ideas on that too. If they all name the same guy, he's probably ok. If the seller and broker really push someone other than the one(s) named by the marinas, be forewarned. ) Contact the potential surveyors and ask them what they'd charge. Costs will vary depending upon the type of boat: a small sloop should be less than a large ketch. The material and condition of the boat factor in too. A wooden boat in mediocre condition can take a LONG time to go over. Steel, fiberglass, engines & systems can all affect survey costs, along with the distance the surveyor has to go, and how long he thinks it will take. The depth and detail of his report will be reflected in the cost as well.
In any case, make sure to be present when the surveyor looks over the boat. You're paying for his expertise, and it is an excellent way to learn incredible amounts from him as he points out issues, causes, and effects that you had NO idea of. We had the boat we bought surveyed by two different surveyors, and learned something new from both of them. This, despite my having had more than 30 years of sailing experience, 20 in cruising boats.

10-08-2012 10:20 PM

blt2ski

Re: Buying A Boat, Need Some Help

hmmmmm, I know of a local that is about $10........ok, so 10-20 depending upon the surveyor. Some IIRC charge a bit more per foot for longer ones, just to cover some of the beam etc too.................The $10, could also be because it was an insurance survey.....so not remember the cost of the initial one, might be a bit more for new vs insurance also.....

Worth the cost any how!

10-08-2012 10:14 PM

Faster

Re: Buying A Boat, Need Some Help

Marty, $10/foot would be a pretty good deal methinks.. some locals are approaching $20, we paid $12 in 2004 in Seattle.

It's not a minor expense, that's for sure... but for most it's worthwhile, and in any event if the boat is to be financed or insured a recent survey is usually a requirement.

10-08-2012 10:11 PM

blt2ski

Re: Buying A Boat, Need Some Help

Surveyor's also typically charge by the foot. So that is how you can figure out what it will cost. IIRC $10 US a foot would be a good budget. Some may also have a minimum, so if you hire some one to look at an 8' pram, they might have 2-4 hrs going to and from the boat, so some cost needs to be taken in for that.

The foot price is probably a good thumb up, armlength away guess on a price. It could vary some depending upon what you need etc.

Marty

10-08-2012 10:05 PM

Faster

Re: Buying A Boat, Need Some Help

Typically the cost of the survey is on you.. it's your insurance payment on not making a bad buy. On used boats early every survey will reveal an issue or two that will aid in reducing the negotiated sale price by at least that amount.

And even if it doesn't, better to be out $500-1000 than to have paid $10K or more and have ended up buying someone else's problem(s).

If you're spending serious money then you have to look at the costs of even several surveys as 'part of the process' and the associated costs of making such a major purchase - again, so the purchase is made with as much info as you can get, which always helps in making a good decision.

All of which, of course, presumes a quality survey from a truly good surveyor...

10-08-2012 09:40 PM

Jimmy-D

Buying A Boat, Need Some Help

I'm going to look at a boat this weekend. If I like it, I will make an offer. However, my offer will be contingent upon a survey. How do I protect myself in terms of the cost of the survey? Do I negotiate a price ahead of time based on the seller's info and have a written contract if the boat checks out? How is this done?